Support system and storage medium

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a support system includes an editor, a problem extractor, and a candidate extractor. The editor displays a first editing region. A plurality of items are editable in the first editing region as a hierarchical structure having mutual subordination. The plurality of items include a requirement and an approach. The approach is for satisfying the requirement. The problem extractor extracts, from a database when the requirement is input to the first editing region, a problem similar to the input requirement. The database includes a plurality of combinations. The combination includes the problem and a solution. The solution is for the problem. The candidate extractor refers to an ontology, extracts other problems associated with the extracted problem, and displays the solutions for the other problem as candidates of the approach for the input requirement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A support system, comprising:
 an editor displaying a first editing region, a plurality of items being editable in the first editing region as a hierarchical structure having mutual subordination, the plurality of items including a requirement and an approach, the approach being for satisfying the requirement;   a problem extractor extracting, from a database when the requirement is input to the first editing region, a problem similar to the input requirement, the database including a plurality of combinations, the combination including the problem and a solution, the solution being for the problem; and   a candidate extractor referring to an ontology, extracting an other problem associated with the extracted problem, and displaying the solution for the other problem as a candidate of the approach for the input requirement.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein when causing the display of the solution for the other problem, the candidate extractor further causes a display of the similar problem and an other solution for the similar problem. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the problem extractor extracts the similar problem based on a part of a plurality of words included in the input requirement, and   when causing the display of the solution for the other problem, the candidate extractor can display, in a form different from a form of an other part of the plurality of words, the part of the plurality of words used in the extracting of the similar problem.   
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the problem extractor extracts the similar problem from the plurality of problems based on similarities between a feature of the input requirement and features of the plurality of problems. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the problem extractor calculates the features of the input requirement and the plurality of problems by projecting the input requirement and the plurality of problems into a semantic space by using a semantic space model. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plan extractor extracting, as a plan, a set of the approaches for satisfying the requirement of a highest rank in the hierarchical structure. 
     
     
         7 . A storage medium storing a program causing a processing device to function as:
 an editor displaying a first editing region, a plurality of items being editable in the first editing region as a hierarchical structure having mutual subordination, the plurality of items including a requirement and an approach, the approach being for satisfying the requirement;   a problem extractor extracting, from a database when the requirement is input, a problem similar to the input requirement, the database including a plurality of combinations, the combination including the problem and a solution, the solution being for the problem; and   a candidate extractor referring to an ontology, extracting an other problem associated with the extracted problem, and displaying the solution for the other problem as a candidate of the approach for the input requirement.